Dear Readers, Yesterday I introduced you to Suri, a filly born and orphaned on the Virginia Range. Here's my most recent note from Palomino:

Suri is hanging in there. She is still exhausted, and completely without energy, but she reminds me of HB because she LOVES TO EAT.She still has temperature issues. Today she was out in the sun, warm as can be, and all of a sudden her temperature dropped to 96. So we took her back to the stall and she was in her blanky and enjoying the heat lamps. Her little legs have been like ice cubes, which is very dangerous, so we put her in leg warmers. But, finally I used my brain and put a light strip of vet wrap at the top of her leg warmers, which helped to hold them on. She was very chic, matching leg warmers and pretty red vet wrap at the top. Suri is still having trouble getting up and down, but we are pretty sure it is just from exhaustion and we're expecting her to eat her way to lots of energy.

She whinnies every time you go near her, and for a couple of seconds showed that she is a wild foal and can be quite feisty. She is learning to lead a little bit. Normally I wouldn't start with a halter on their head, as pulling on it can remind them of a mountain lion that would pull down their head to kill them. But we had to improvise with her, and she is doing well. Like all the rest of the mustangs, she is extremely smart.

Dear Readers, Is this mustang foal darling, or what? Her name is Suri (short for Survivor), and she was found alone on Nevada's Virginia Range, once home to the real Phantom. Her rescuers believe she without her mother for five days. Now, Palomino Armstrong (wild horse angel to Chilly Pepper & Honey Bandit) has taken her in. Although Suri was severely dehydrated and her heart rate is abnormally low, Palomino and her family, especially her husband Matt, are fighting for this baby's life. More tomorrow, Terri

Dear Readers, Does this beautiful mustang stallion look familiar? He's Phantom's Pride, son of the real Phantom Stallion. Some of you remember him as this little black foal (photo by Palomino Armstrong, Feb. 2007). You may even have entered the contest to name him.

Phantom's Pride lives on 5,000 fenced acres at the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, California. Expelled from his family band -- as most young stallions are -- he now has a small herd of his own and that's exciting for many reasons. When the first Phantom Stallion book was published, some people laughed at the idea that such a young stallion could have a herd of his own. And some critics refused to believe a black foal could grow up to be a white stallion, even if he passed through a transitional color shift of silver gray, like the surface of the moon. Look at Pride! He's proving fiction & fact aren't always that far apart. If you'd like to read more about the real Phantom, his lead mare Shy and Pride's older brother Raincloud, click here The Real Phantom

Dear Readers, Have fun taking this Brain Creativity Quiz to get an idea of which side of your brain is dominant, then read the University of Vancouver's interpretation of your quiz. It's pretty fun. I turned out to be 63% right brained, which means THE TEST says I'm pretty creative, but it's worth noticing that there's other stuff working in my head, too. The nice thing about this quiz is that it gives you lots of interpretation information afterward. Have fun!Terri

One of the highlights of this month will be speaking at the first ever SCBWI Canada East NIAGARA FALLS WRITERS' RETREAT & CONFERENCEat the Mount Carmel Spiritual Conference Centre, Ontario. May 13 - 15I'm honored to be presenting the evening keynote address. The program description of is so cool, I have to share:

Writing drove Stephen King to drug addiction, Dr. Seuss to drink & Robert Munsch to face his demons. The Bronte sisters had to pretend they were the Bronte brothers. J.K. Rowling was asked to drop her first name. All this in the name of publishing, where the odds of seeing your name on a book cover are about 10,000 to 1. Despite these odds, TERRI FARLEY talks about what drives us all to "WRITE ON."

Dear Readers, May Day is the sharp-sweet scent of daisies and the sound of running feet, to me, because it was one of my mother's favorite holidays. On May Day eve, my little brother and I would weave little baskets out of green paper strips. We got up early the next morning to fill our baskets with daisies and violets, sometimes a pink geranium or two, then we stampeded into 30 minutes of parent-sanctioned doorbell ditching. After hanging our little baskets on doorknob, we'd ring the bell and run to the next house. Enjoy your first day of May -- festival of the goddess Flora -- and sniff a flower for me! Happy May Day, Terri